Home and auto liability: Are you covered?

What is liability coverage?

If you are found responsible for someone else’s injuries or property damage, liability insurance helps protect you financially.

Why do you need liability coverage?

The liability coverage amounts in your auto and home insurance policies may not be enough to cover your assets. Having an appropriate amount of liability coverage can give you peace of mind.

Types of liability coverage

Auto

Property and bodily injury

Example: You glance at your phone approaching an intersection and miss the light turning red. Unable to stop in time, you crash into another car, injuring the driver and totaling their vehicle. You’d be responsible for their medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Home

Injuries or property damage

Home liability can arise in many ways—like a neighbor’s dog you’re watching biting a guest, a diseased tree falling on a neighbor or their home, a guest tripping on a rug and getting hurt, or someone leaving your party drunk and causing an accident.

Umbrella

Personal liability insurance

Umbrella insurance provides extra liability protection beyond your auto and home policies. It safeguards your assets (home equity, savings, future income) if you’re liable for damages exceeding your primary coverage limits, potentially preventing attorneys from targeting them.

How much coverage do I need?

In general, if the amount of equity you have in your home plus savings and investments is MORE than the highest amount of liability coverage on your policy, you may want to consider personal liability (umbrella)coverage. Consider meeting with a financial advisor to review your assets and recommend the amount of liability coverage you may need.

What about cost?

Many factors can affect your premium. But you could save up to 25% off your home policy with our auto/home bundle!

Why choose Member Benefits?

• Guaranteed Replacement Cost: For homes built during or after 1950, we will pay the full cost to repair or replace your home with materials of like kind and quality without the limits imposed by most other insurers.
• No deductible for claims on school grounds (e.g. vandalism, hail, fender bender in parking lot).
• Coverage up to $2,000 of personal items while on school grounds and damaged prep materials for classroom regardless of the cause of loss. No deductible!
• Access to Personal Risk Protection where you can create your own legal documents (will, trust, health care directives) without attorney fees. You can also electronically store and share these documents.
• Personal consultations to answer questions and become a better insurance consumer.

Call us at 1-800-279-4030

Get an insurance quote

Schedule a personal insurance consultation

Warm weather, cool coverage!

Whether you’re hitting the water, the trails, or the open road, Member Benefits can help protect all your favorite warm-weather toys. From boats and electric bikes to 4-wheelers, UTVs, and even hobby farms—we’ve got you covered.

Based on the type of item you have and the way you intend to use it, we can help you understand the best way to insure it with recreational vehicle and toy insurance. Many of these “toys” have unique needs, and your policy should be written accordingly.

If you are interested in insuring a boat, RV, motorcycle, or other recreational vehicle or toy, give us a call at 1-800-279-4030.

Enjoy the season, we’ll take care of the rest.

Life insurance is for those you love

Life insurance is easy to understand. It’s there to help your family financially. But there is also an emotional value to life insurance—one that can be an act of love.

For example, life insurance may help your family stay in the home where so many memories were made, helping to preserve those memories and providing stability for the important people in your life. It may also help your family reach life goals they are hoping to fulfill, such as a college degree, clearing out debt, or making retirement a reality.

It’s a simple answer to a very difficult question: How will my loved ones manage financially if something were to happen to me?

Showing your love by protecting your assets for your family can be more affordable—and easier—than you might think. Member Benefits has partnered with Ladder, a life insurance company that offers term life insurance nationwide. That means our members and their families may be eligible for a life insurance policy no matter where they live in the United States.

Ladder is completely digital. There are no doctors, no needles, and no paperwork when you apply for $3 million in coverage or less. With Ladder, you can:

• Apply online in as little at 5 minutes.
• Enjoy the flexibility of decreasing your coverage or applying for more when you need it.
• Log on anytime to add beneficiaries, change your policy details, or even cancel coverage.
• Get started today and receive a no-obligation price estimate.

Regardless of the level of insurance you choose, Ladder can help you minimize the costs that may keep your family from focusing on getting through a tough time. See it as helping to create a financial legacy plan for your family—with love.

Learn more about life insurance powered by Ladder.

Understand your roof coverage

Climate change is making a significant impact on our society. The changes in weather patterns, including more frequent and severe storms, have greatly impacted insureds and the insurance industry. These storms can create massive amounts of damage to homes, with roof replacements driving a large portion of the loss.

As the industry tries to contain costs and keep premiums affordable, roof coverage has begun to shift from Replacement Cost (RC) coverage, which upgrades a damaged roof with a brand new one of similar quality, to Actual Cash Value (ACV) coverage for roofing claims.

ACV coverage depreciates roof claim payments based on the age and materials of the roof relative to its life expectancy. At its most basic, it is a calculation of replacement cost minus depreciation. Insurance companies typically offer a defined depreciation schedule that states the percentage of coverage based on age and type of roofing material.

Roofs have a typical life expectancy of 25-30 years. With ACV coverage, the insurance company is responsible for covering the remaining life left in the damaged roof, and the homeowner covers the cost of upgrading their older roof to a new one.

After careful consideration, Member Benefits has decided that in order to keep premiums affordable and in line with the marketplace, we need to shift to ACV coverage for roof claims. If you have a home insurance policy with us, watch for more details in your next renewal. It will include a separate deductible for wind and hail claims and a loss settlement schedule for roofs based on their age and material.

We’re confident that our depreciation schedule and deductible options are some of the more generous and customer-friendly offerings in the marketplace today. We hope this article helps you understand your roof coverage and what it will mean for you at the time of a claim. Please call us with any questions or concerns at 1-800-279-4030.

Help your family with their expenses

Did you know Member Benefits offers term life insurance through Ladder—and that it’s available to members nationwide?

If you’re wondering whether you need life insurance in retirement, ask yourself: How will my loved ones manage financially if something were to happen to me? If you think they will struggle with daily living expenses, funeral costs, medical bills, or other costs, you may want to consider a life insurance policy.

Get a no-obligation price estimate by visiting our national website.

Take advantage of this perk!

Did you know that as an added benefit for WEA Member Benefits’ home policyholders, you have free access to a program where you can create many important legal documents?

Personal Risk Protection^TM is an easy-to-use online service that can save you and your family hundreds of dollars.

Options include:

• Writing a will or power of attorney.
• Preparing a healthcare directive.
• Contracting with a builder for home renovation.
• Creating a trust.

Renting out a property with a lease, and more.

Visit the Personal Risk Protection page to learn more, then call 1-800-279-4030 to get your registration code.

Medicare supplement and life insurance available nationwide

Managing your health care costs

Medical expenses can easily become one of the most expensive costs in your retirement. If you are turning 65 and need to go on Medicare (or already have Medicare), you may want help managing and budgeting your health care expenses with predictability.

Member Benefits offers Medicare Supplement Insurance, also known as Medigap. This is a separate policy you can buy from a private company that works with Medicare Part A (covering inpatient care, skilled nursing, hospice, and home health care) and Part B (covering doctor services, outpatient care, and preventive services). Medigap helps cover costs like coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles that aren’t covered by Medicare.

Our partner is Associates of Clifton Park, a trusted provider for Medicare supplemental insurance. They’ll help you find the perfect policy tailored to your needs and budget.

Help your family with their expenses

Member Benefits also offers term life insurance through Ladder, available to members nationwide.

If you’re wondering whether you need life insurance in retirement, ask yourself: How will my loved ones manage financially if something were to happen to me? If you think they will struggle with daily living expenses, funeral costs, medical bills, or other costs, you may want to consider a life insurance policy.

Get no-obligation price estimate on life insurance.

Learn more about Medicare supplement and life insurance.

Are you covered?

It’s an important consideration any time, but especially during retirement when safeguarding your assets becomes even more critical.

Consider these three basic principles when you’re evaluating insurance coverages:

1. Buy value, not price. For example, is exposing yourself to loss by lowering your liability limits worth saving a few dollars every month? Make sure you understand the implications.
2. Maximize your insurance dollar. The risk of a catastrophic event may be low but it does happen…and it can be financially devastating. If you’re looking to save money, explore reducing your deductible before you consider reducing coverage.
3. Insure for the catastrophic. It’s the real reason we have insurance.

Umbrella insurance is often overlooked but most financial planners consider it a must-have. It’s also very affordable. You may be surprised at the situations in which you may need umbrella insurance:

• Paying for damaged cargo after being involved in an accident with a semi-truck.
• Striking a power pole or building can result in a significant liability.
• If you ever face charges of slander, libel, or defamation of character, you’re not likely covered unless you have an umbrella policy.

Let one of our personal insurance consultants guide you through your options. We’re here to help you make the best decisions for your situation—even if you don’t choose us.

Schedule a free personal insurance consultation.

Putting off home maintenance may cost you more than you think

It’s true—we’re all busy. Life can be hectic and you have to prioritize your time as well as your money.

When it comes to your home, it can be easy to slide into the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mindset. Ignoring small repairs might seem like a good way to save some cash and time, but putting off regular maintenance for too long can lead to bigger problems and more costly insurance claims.

According to a 2024 Hanover study, scarcely 38% of homeowners have examined the integrity of their roofs in the past year. Just 39% checked the condition of their water heaters, and only 40% cleaned their gutters. Not focusing on the risk of loss from these vulnerable areas of the home could be a financial mistake.

To potentially save bigger dollars, a better mindset might be “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Here are some reasons why.

Larger claims, more often

A house is a big investment. But putting off essential maintenance tasks increases the chance of damages or accidents happening. For example, an old roof or outdated plumbing may lead to water leaks, mold, and damage to your home’s structure. By the time you notice, you could be looking at thousands of dollars in repairs.

The leading cause of home fire property damage is electrical distribution or lighting equipment, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Not upgrading your electrical system, or short circuits from defective and worn insulation, could lead to a disaster.

Not only do these pose safety issues for you and your family, but claims from delayed maintenance on situations such as these are usually severe and expensive.

Negligence impacts your insurance provider…which impacts everyone

Insurance companies are obligated to pay the claims filed by their policyholders. As claims become larger and more frequent, these companies face increased financial liability, putting a strain on their resources. To maintain financial stability, insurers are often faced with raising their premiums to offset higher claims, including those due to neglected maintenance.

Further, premiums collected from all policyholders go into a shared risk pool of funds to cover potential claims. Those who neglect their properties introduce higher risk across the pool. Insurers respond to this increased risk by raising premiums for everyone to ensure the collective funds are adequate to cover the growing number of claims.

Individual impact

When you neglect maintaining your home for too long, it may create emergencies out of what were smaller issues, at more cost to you. You may also have higher energy bills if you don’t change out your furnace filter or if your air conditioner has a refrigerant leak, for example. Further, if you want to sell your home and it shows signs of wear and damage, it will likely lose some of its potential value for the sale.

Community impact

When insurance premiums rise due to increased claims based on neglected maintenance, it affects the entire community because the shared costs rise for everyone involved. Safety issues also increase, whether it’s a neighborhood, apartment building, condo, or investment property. So even if you’re a responsible homeowner, you may still be impacted by others’ neglected maintenance claims one way or the other.

Environmental impact

Things such as a leaky faucet or running toilet waste water, which takes a toll on our environment and leads to higher utility bills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, household leaks can waste nearly 10,000 gallons of water annually. Leaky doors and windows can make your heating and cooling systems run less efficiently as well, contributing to unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions and increasing your energy bill.

Insurance industry trends

With rising costs due to more severe storms, higher material and labor costs, and increases in claims, there are certain trends taking place throughout the insurance industry regarding home insurance, including:

• Providing actual cash value instead of replacement value for roof damage. This means that older roofs will have lower payouts due to depreciation.
• Higher mandated deductibles for wind/hail damage.
• Limited coverage for cosmetic damage to metal such as gutters, downspouts, etc.

What can you do as a homeowner?

The costs of neglecting your property have a ripple effect. While it is the choice of the individual as to what they do to their own home, in the larger picture it is a shared responsibility. Here are some things you can do to help keep insurance costs down.

Budget ahead for home maintenance tasks. According to Angi’s 2023 “State of Home Spending” report, the average annual cost of home maintenance projects was $2,458; home emergency spending was $1,667.

• A common rule is to save 1%–4% of your home’s value per year (Investopedia). If you’re on a tighter budget, you may want to set a dollar amount that you can reach, even if it’s not 1%. Anything you can save may help prevent you from having to borrow to pay for repairs or procrastinate on repairs. And saving early can help you spread out the costs of repairs and upgrades over time instead of facing a larger unexpected expense.

Prioritize the upkeep of your property. Some key areas to pay attention to include:

• Prune dead and low-hanging tree branches to help prevent roof damage, and inspect your roof after storms.
• Schedule regular maintenance on your furnace and central air conditioner, and keep up on replacing filters…dirt and debris can make your units work much harder and cost you more to run.
• If you have an older home with an outdated electrical system, it should be replaced by a professional. Faulty wiring can lead to a fire. Avoid overloading outlets as that is also a major cause of residential fires.

Invest in weatherproofing your home, including storm-resistant windows, landscaping, and drains.

Consider modernizing your heating, plumbing, and electrical systems to reduce the risk of fire and water damage.

Let us help

If you have questions about your current insurance or would like an insurance quote, contact us. We’re here to help.

1-800-279-4030
weabenefits.com/consults

Take the risk out of Halloween with proper insurance coverage

As a homeowner, renter, and/or motorist, consider the important role your insurance plays in protecting you and your finances in the event the unexpected happens.

Tricks can be costly when they cause damage to your home or car. Standard home and renters policies generally provide coverage for vandalism, less your deductible. If your car gets damaged, there may be coverage under the optional comprehensive part of your auto policy, if you carry it.

Decorations can be more than scary! Fire damage from a Halloween candle or electrical decorations is generally covered by your home or renters policy. The amount and terms of coverage are stated in your policy.

Is your coverage limit enough to replace your home and personal belongings in the event of a total loss? Too often people underinsure their largest investment for the sake of a few dollars each month, putting their family’s financial security at risk.

Use extra caution while driving. Remember that kids out canvassing the neighborhood for treats on Halloween night (or other night deemed by the city or town) may be distracted by all the costumes and candy. Dimly lit streets make it difficult to see children, so proceed with caution. Accidents that do not involve another driver or pedestrian are typically covered under the optional collision portion of an auto insurance policy, if you carry it. If another car or person is involved in the accident, the liability portion of your auto policy would kick in (up to your coverage limits).

Feeling even a little scared about your insurance coverage? No need! Call us at 1-800-279-4030 or schedule a personal consultation and we can help your determine if your insurance coverage is meeting your needs.